Fileja with tuna and Tropea onions

Duration: 1h 30 min

Difficulty:  Medium

Region: Calabria

Fileja with tuna and Tropea onions are a typical recipe from Tropea in Calabria. Fileja are a traditional pasta shape from the area that has been prepared for generations. The peculiarity of this pasta is in the preparation method, the dough is adhered around a stick of dry wood (dinacu or filejo) a few millimeters thick, 3-4 at most, produced by a wild plant widespread in the area, called Gutamara or Sparto, around which the dough is wrapped to make it take on the characteristic rolled shape, through spinning. Their name comes from spinning. Even this pasta shape like all the others of Calabrian origin goes well with the typical products of the place such as freshly caught tuna and the delicious Tropea onions.

Wine Pairing: Cirò Rosso Superiore DOC

Ingredients

For 4 people:

For the preparation of the fileja:

• 400 g of durum wheat flour
• 200ml of Water
• salt

+ 1 stick of dry wood (3-4 mm thick)

For the onion and tuna sauce:

• 2 Tropea onions
• 400 g of tomato puree
• 1 Chilli
• 1 slice of fresh tuna
• 1 bunch of Parsley
• Origan
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt

How to Proceed

Preparing the filesja

Prepare a pastry board on which you will pour the flour forming the fountain. Form a hollow in the center and pour the water in the center and a pinch of salt. Start mixing gently with your hands at first so as not to let the water escape and then when it is completely incorporated you can begin to knead more vigorously. Knead until you get a compact and elastic dough.

Once the right consistency is obtained, form a loaf and wrap it in transparent film. Let it rest for about half an hour. This wait is necessary so that the gluten that has developed while kneading has time to relax, making it easier to stretch the dough.

Once the time has elapsed, form sticks of dough about half a centimeter in diameter and 10 cm in length. Once obtained, roll them one after the other around the dinacu, then remove the dough thus forming the fileja. Once ready, let them dry slightly on a tray with a little durum wheat semolina (so they don’t stick to each other).

Preparation of the tuna and Tropea onion sauce

Take the onions, peel them and cut them into small slices. Also take the tuna slice and after removing the skin, cut it into many cubes. Take a pan and after adding a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add the sliced onion and brown the diced fresh tuna in it. Don’t overdo the cooking. Remove the browned tuna from the pan (set it aside) and add the tomato puree, a pinch of salt and a little oregano. Continue cooking the sauce for about 20 minutes on a moderate heat. Then at the end turn off the heat and put the previously browned tuna cubes back into the sauce.

On the side, take a pot of water and bring it to a boil. When the water boils, add a pinch of coarse salt and then pour the fileja inside. Let the pasta cook for the time necessary for al dente cooking. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then pour it into the pan with the tuna and onion sauce. Sauté the pasta in the pan for 3-4 minutes, allowing it to infuse well.

Make portions and add a little grated smoked ricotta to each one and garnish with a little finely chopped parsley.